By Glenn Davis
Gold Coast trainer Helen Page still dares to dream about winning a Melbourne Cup but in the meantime, she hopes to celebrate the big day in the winner’s stall at Doomben on Tuesday.
Melbourne Cup day brings back fond memories for Page who became the first woman trainer to place in a Melbourne Cup when Magnolia Hall ran third to champion mare Let’s Elope in 1991.
Page has never had a runner good enough to take on the Melbourne Cup since but still lives in hope.
“Every trainer in the world looks at the Melbourne Cup and it’s every trainer’s dream to have a Cup runner,” Page said.
“I’d love to have another runner one day but finding one good enough is very hard.”
Meanwhile Page hopes Sharpamal can step up to the plate in the Channel Seven Class Four Handicap (1350m).
Sharpamal is taking on the might of leading trainers Tony Gollan and Chris Waller who both have two runners.
Monasterio and last start winner Impasse represent the Waller stable while Gollan’s two are Umberto and Salmanazar.
Umberto is chasing a hat-trick of wins following his two Ipswich victories last month and looks the most likely of the quartet.
Sharpamal has been placed in two of his three starts this campaign including a last start second on a rain-affected track in a Benchmark race at the Gold Coast on October 20.
The five-year-old son of Jetspur was bred by owner Neil Dickinson who bought Sharpamal as a foal with her mother Tiptoe at Nathan Tinkler’s broodmare dispersal sale in 2015.
He was knocked down for a paltry $2,500 and has since gone on to earn more than $111,000 in prizemoney with four wins and nine placings from 23 starts.
“He was caught on the fence which was the heaviest part of the track last start,” Page said.
“He’s got a bad alley but he tries hard and is very honest.
“I’m confident he’ll run well again and it’ll be good for his owner who has had horses with me for more than 20 years.”
Racing Queensland webnews November 5